It seems our phones are out again.  Every time we have major rain.  Drives me nuts.  So, if you need me, please email at kbdieter@aol.com or kathybarrick@gmail.com.

I'm spending today scrubbing boards that came out of our attic.  They're filthy!  I'm filthy!  It's not a fun job, but at least it's beautiful out today.  And they'll be gorgeous when they become our living room floor, so I'm not complaining!

That's all my news!  Hope your day is much more exciting than mine!

What a busy day!  I've been filling orders all day long and in between, have had the following people come in:

The Printer Repair Man came and fixed my printer.  Actually it was a computer issue, so I'll be billed for that one.

The furnace guy came back to fix our furnace that heats the addition part of the house.  They'll be coming back next week to fix the furnace that heats the front part of the house.  I'll be billed BIG time for that one!  Let's hope the house will be a little bit warm this winter!

The pool people came and closed the pool for the winter.  And it's 95 degrees outside.  Figures, huh?!

The carpenter who is going to finish our living room is coming to talk floors in about three minutes.  We're taking floor boards from our attic and putting them in the living room.  Should be a HUGE improvement.

Today I sent out my first newsletter "News From the Raven's Bench" connected to my new website.  Boy was that scary!!  If you receive it and you find any typos, please don't tell me!!

I updated my website with new jewelry yesterday.  Check it out when you have a chance!

As soon as the carpenter is done, I'm off to the post office and the grocery store.  YUCK!

Hope you are all having a good one!

Liz just emailed me this photo.  She and her boss have been working on this piece for me.  The ivory acorn on the right is one I found at the flea markets in Paris.  It's SUCH a little treasure!  The top unscrews and it holds a small thimble.

Through a huge process I won't profess to understand, Liz and Erik were able to cast my ivory acorn and to reproduce it in sterling silver.  And the original is still in perfect shape, which just amazes me because it's so very light and fragile.  The extra pieces on the top and the bottom of the silver acorn are called sprews (I'm truly not sure of the spelling).  They will be filed off and made smooth.

I know the next question I'll be getting from Liz and Erik will be "how many do I want" and as much as I'd like to ask for 3,462, I'll have to contain my excitement and ask for five or six.  Sterling silver isn't cheap!

I left this morning around 8:30 for Virginia.  As I posted about earlier this week, Lori Brechlin's show is tomorrow.  It took me 4 1/2 hours to get down to Charlottesville.  I stopped in a couple of antique shops this afternoon and am now in my hotel room thinking about what I'd like to order from room service for dinner.  And I'm reading the best book by Jodi Picoult.  If you haven't read any of her books, get one!  They're fabulous!  There's something so decadent about staying in a hotel by yourself.  I can be as lazy as I'd like, read, sleep, play on my laptop, text Liz and Art.....how fun!

Can't wait to get to Lori's tomorrow morning and set up my booth for her show!  Hope to see you there!

Just listed - on both my website (www.kathybarrick.com) and my Etsy page (www.frenchsentiments.ety.com).

Don't forget...I'm hoping to see you this weekend!!  (See below!)

Can't seem to stop making jewelry today...it's just the most fun thing to do!  I've just loaded this piece onto my new website...it's called Jeanne D'Arc.  Notice the pink envelope in the second photo.  Liz found this among some antique French papers she brought back from Paris.  Too cool!

Just added today!

My new website is done!!  Chelsea did a fabulous job!  I've loaded some new jewelry on my new site.  You'll have to browse through the categories to find them!

There's a link to the right!

Thank you, thank you to Chelsea Main for designing my new blog!  AND my new website, which is very close to being done!  Chelsea, as Liz says, you ROCK!!!!

Tulip Patch is no longer out of print! I found the model in a box in my summer kitchen this week. I was thrilled! I was able to photograph it and now have charts available on my Etsy site...... go here: www.kathybarrick.etsy.com.